Penterprise uses FAS Enterprise Portal (FEP) because it makes it quick and easy to deploy any FAS form within the enterprise. Customers use FEP to get their FAS solutions up and running quickly, without spending time and effort in developing their own applications software.   FEP provides the interface and management tools to easily set-up, control and use your digital pen and paper solution effectively.

This summary briefly describes each of FEP’s six key components:

1) Form Printing and Pre-filling

The portal makes it easy to print unique pattern FAS forms pre-filled with data. A web services interface allows bespoke printing applications to be developed with the minimum of effort. All pre-filled information is stored for later use during form processing and validation.

2) Forms Processing

The portal includes a generic forms processing component that can process any FAS form. Handwriting recognition is performed on text fields. Check boxes and radio buttons are recognised. The processing results can be any of the following:

• Images of the pages of the form
• XML describing all aspects of the form filling process
• XML data capturing the contents of the form
• Word (RTF) output
• PDF files, optionally with searchable text

The forms processing component supports “multi-session” updates to forms. This happens when a form-filler returns to a form and adds more information later, or when a different pen is used, as when a supervisor signs off a piece of work. FEP collates and associates all collected information with that particular printed copy of the form.

3) Web based Validation Tool

The data uploaded from any form deployed in FEP can be inspected, validated and corrected from any PC or device with a web browser. No coding is required and any FAS form can be handled. Optionally, advanced validation checks and business logic to augment the handwriting recognition process can be added using simple JavaScript modules.

4) Data Delivery

The portal supports several methods for delivering form data back to the customer:

• Email
• Web Services
• SMS Text Messages

The data can be configured to automate delivery to a recipient when certain actions occur, e.g when a form is uploaded, validated or approved. SMS messages can notify a pen user that an upload has been successful or that the form contains errors, such as missing mandatory fields.

5) Auditing and Traceability

Every uploaded set of handwriting on every form is stored and recorded. Every pen stroke written can be traced back to a specific pen, together with the time and date of the entry. Because the FAS solution only uses unique pattern every form is different and distinguishable from its peers. This combination of features enables total traceability of the data capture process. This is highly important in applications such as forensics, pharmaceuticals trials and financial services. Every change made during the validation process is also audited and traceable back to a specific time and user.

6) Administration

FEP has a full set of administration features. Customers, users and pens are added, and new forms registered, using FEP's web interface.

FEP is designed to support either a single enterprise, or several smaller customers. One FEP can host forms for several customers with no risk of the data from one being seen by another. Each customer’s view of the web site can be branded to include customer specific logos and other web page content.

FEP implements role based security. Users can be assigned to one (or more) of four specific roles: “Pen User”, “Validator”, “Viewer” or “Administrator”. After logging in to the Portal, the functions that are made available to the user are restricted according to the roles that have been assigned to that user.